Academic Master

Health Care

Health Claim Essay

Introduction

Health claims give us the description of the relationship between the food ingredients or contents the health-related conditions. By definition, a health claim possesses two important parts; one is the substance or the ingredient found in the food, second is the health-related condition or any disease. Any claim not having one of these components will not be a proper health claim (fda.gov). These statements or labels regarding the food product are for advertisement. These claims must be honest and not misleading. However, nowadays we encounter many food products having false health claims such as “low fat”, “all-natural”, or “no added sugar” etc.

A drink known as ‘Nesquik’ has a tagline of ‘Chocolate is a great start to any day which I believe is not. We have always been informed, and it’s even evident that excess of sugary drinks and stuff isn’t good for health. Then the question arises that how one thing which is harmful to health can be a great start to the day. The product claims that most of the sugar it possesses is derived from the lactose in milk and that it contains vitamins C and D, zinc, and iron. Children’s Food Campaign in the U.K claimed that it encouraged unhealthy and poor nutritional habits in children (naturalsociety.com). A Nestle UK spokesman stated, “The advert for Nesquik Hot Chocolate shown on the label of a family-sized bottle of milk was undoubtedly targeted at adults who were shopping for their family, making it clear that the product should be consumed over a number of days, rather than in excess. However, we always listen to concerns when they are raised. As a responsible manufacturer and to remove any ambiguity in the future, we will no longer use the statement: ‘For a great start to the day!’ in our UK advertisements” (HNGN.com).

Validation of the claim

To validate the claims offered by Nestle regarding Nesquik, one must first reflect upon the common knowledge regarding which we all are well aware. People now know that anything having high sugar content is not at all good for health. It increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, etc. Such foods when consumed in the morning by children enhance their risk of disease and decrease their level of activity. Poor nutritional habits develop in children, and they become lazy. The importance of validation is required in every food claim we listen to since health must be the first priority. And when it’s about children’s health, claims like these must be validated so that children don’t suffer from unhealthiness and illnesses.

Conclusion

Reading this and many other claims like these tell us about the marketing strategies these companies or brands use for their benefit. This knowledge made us aware that we all must not blindly follow the taglines and the labeling the products offer, but rather do some research regarding them for the validation of the claims and the health benefits they say they provide. Though the research cannot be truly evident, some common knowledge can be made use of such as in the case of Nesquik. We all are aware of common diseases and their causes. Hence, this must be kept in mind while buying and consuming any food item. Many oils we use while preparing the food to have the tag ‘cholesterol free.’ This isn’t true as well since research and study of biology make us aware that no oil exists without cholesterol. Thus, all food items must be researched so that there’s no risk of harmful disease or illnesses.

References

Labelling & Nutrition – Label Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements. Retrieved April 2, 2018, from https://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ucm111447.htm

Nestle can No Longer Claim Nesquik is “a Great Start to the Day” in the U.K. (2016, January 7). Retrieved April 2, 2018, from http://naturalsociety.com/nestle-nesquick-great-start-to-the-day-uk/

Nesquik Ad Banned in the UK for False ‘Great Start to Day’ Claim. (2015, December 23). Retrieved April 2, 2018, from http://www.hngn.com/articles/163390/20151223/nesquik-ad-banned-great-start-day-claim.htm

SEARCH

Top-right-side-AD-min
WHY US?

Calculate Your Order




Standard price

$310

SAVE ON YOUR FIRST ORDER!

$263.5

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Pop-up Message